10/05/2009 - 2:47pm

NFL Players Have a Higher Risk for Alzheimer's

 A study by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, that was commissioned by the National Football League has found that NFL players are 19 times more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other memory-related diseases than the rest of the population.

Hundreds of on field concussions happen every week in high school, college and pro games. Many of these concussions go undiagnosed and untreated. The brain trauma associated with the concussions may be a contributing factor to the high rate of memory-related diseases.

09/17/2009 - 1:58pm

Do Brains Shrink With Age?

Many scientists believed that as we age, our brains get smaller. But a new study has shown that “healthy” brains  show very little deterioration and that only when people experience cognitive decline is there significant shrinking of their brains.

The study was conducted at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and its results suggest that studies done until now simply did not exclude people who were already experiencing cognitive decline.

09/17/2009 - 11:40am

Some Exercises Better Than Others For Your Brain

Research with laboratory mice in Taiwan has shed some interesting light on the link between exercise and improved brain function.

It seems mice that were allowed to do their usual exercise of running around their rodent wheels as much as possible, improved their brain function. But a second group of mice that were pushed harder on a mini-treadmill at a speed and duration controlled by the scientists, out-performed their lab mates in cognitive performance.

09/06/2009 - 12:37pm

Moderate Drinking May Actually Be Helpful to the Brain

According to an analysis of several studies that was published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, people over 60 who consume moderate amounts of alcohol have  reduced  risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
 
15 studies that followed more than 28,000 subjects for at least two years were analyzed for the publication. Male drinkers reduced their risk for dementia by 45 % as compared to non-drinkers and women by 27%.

08/17/2009 - 3:13pm

Cognitive Skills and Left Turns: Senior drivers have asked why it is harder for them to make left turns

A study produced by the Center for Transportation Studies at the Texas Transportation Institute for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which examined data on crashes in Texas during the 1975-1999 period, found that the probability that an older driver will be involved in a left-turn crash increases with age.

According to U.S. department of transportation statistics for 1994 older adults were nine times more likely to be turning left when involved in an accident.

08/10/2009 - 11:20am

Brain Fitness Interview with Dr. Shlomo Breznitz of CogniFit

Alex Colket, a trained neuroscientist is the author of a brain training website, PlayWithYourMind (http://playwithyourmind.com). Prof. Shlomo Breznitz is a renowned psychologist and founder of CogniFit. Alex recently interviewed Shlomo with some very interesting and tough questions about neuroplasticity, cognitive reserve, aging and how, where and why computer brain training fits into these issues.

07/30/2009 - 10:26am

Aging, Social Activity and Motor Skills

Another Reason to Meet With Your Friends

Remaining socially active has been recognized as one of the key elements for remaining intellectually alert. Now research has shown that remaining socially active also keeps motor skills like strength, speed and dexterity sharp as well.

07/06/2009 - 9:42am

When Does Old Age Begin? It a Mind Over Matter

The Pew Research Center recently published a study revealing some interesting facts about how Americans view ageing.

First some statistics: About 40 million Americans are 65 and older. That is about one in eight people; by 2050 one in five Americans will be 65 and older- 20% of the population.

What the survey found is that there is a gap between actual age and the age that people say they feel. Further, the survey found that the older people are, the younger they feel.

07/02/2009 - 9:34am

Not Just Cognitive Skills- Remaining Socially Active Keep Your Motor Skills Sharp As Well

Being socially active is a well recognized key to remaining cognitively sharp into old age. Older people who remain socially engaged are more likely to maintain their cognitive skills vital as they grow older. Recent research suggests that people who remain socially active may better maintain their physical skills as they age as well. Socially active people experience lower rates of decline in their motor skills such as strength, speed and dexterity.

06/15/2009 - 11:43am

A genetic link to brain aging

The Journal of Neuroscience recently published what might be the next big step in identifying and perhaps stopping dementia. Scientists at the University of Toronto identified a gene that controls the normal and pathological aging of neurons in the central nervous system: it’s called Bmi1.